Orphan

I've never been big on failure.  An overdeveloped drive towards success has been ingrained into me since childhood.  I can blame some of it on my family clinging to parts of traditional Japanese culture that go back centuries before the Exodus, and some of it on my own deep seated desire to live up to my Grandfather's expectations.  An individual failure was acceptable if, and only if, one was to face that failure and overcome it.  Failure was an option under some circumstances.  Giving up was not.

As a Soldier and Spook I had been successful.  At least within the definitions of success for the roles I filled.  I'd even managed to succeed in managing a small mining colony as their Mayor.  Again, within the bounds set by the role.   Conditions on Hale's Moon had improved while I was their Mayor, even if everyone hadn't been happy with all of my decisions.  That was to be expected too.  It was hard to please everyone, but the job hadn't been to keep everyone happy, but to try and keep them alive and maybe bring a little prosperity to an arid little rock in the middle of nowhere.

The only part of my life I look at and see failures is in personal relationships.  Losing Caitlin, longer ago than I care to remember now, was the first.  I'd had to create a new small alter here on Dragon's Egg at the anniversary since the one on Hale's was, well, gone.  I'd tried infrequently since and thought I'd finally found it with Sabrina.  But that didn't work either.  Even Simon had gone off on a mission and then just dropped off the face of the 'Verse.

All that had worked was the girls.  Sort of.  My adopted daughters were a whole different sort of relationship.  But had that even worked?  Lily and AuroraBlue were my girls, but ultimately I didn't seem to have much sway in their lives.  An anchor, maybe.  One person in the whole 'Verse who didn't want to study them or use them for their own agenda.  I just wanted them to be happy and safe and give them some genuine love, and I'm not sure I succeeded on anything but the love part.

Though, now, a new factor was being inserted into the equation.

She goes by Medusa, though I don't rightly know why she'd have that particular mythical namesake.  An Orphan who'd somehow gotten caught up with the Companion's Guild, Svetlana and her crew, and then crossed paths with Lily.  She was desperate for a real home and a mother figure to provide guidance and Lily thought I'd be just the one.

I knew there were reasons Svetlana couldn't take her on as an actual 'mother' figure, but there was a real question as to whether I would be suitable either.  There were a lot of factors in my life that were . . . hidden.  Not just my work.  But some of my relationships.  None of them appropriate for a youngun, not that I couldn't keep them hidden as I had.  There would just be this undercurrent of secrecy that she would pick up on and either probe or just learn to deal with.

But, for now, I'd play the Foster Mother role the 'Verse has dropped in my lap.  She may stay on a while.  She may go back with Svetlana and her crew, or she may go off with Genni Foxtrot and her brood.  Regardless,  I'd take her in for now.  There was a finite possibility that she was a plant to get through to my network, but I was already working back down that angle.  Taken at face value, she was a youngun in need.  Before Hale's I'd have shrugged and moved on.  Not my issue.  Now, for better or worse, I'd do what I could.